Mackenzie Blackwood
Mackenzie Blackwood | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 9, 1996 Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey goaltender |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Playing for Colorado Avalanche in the NHL |
Mackenzie Blackwood (born December 9, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey League (NHL). Recognized as the highest-ranked North American goaltender in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's final list for the 2015 NHL entry draft, he was chosen 42nd overall by the New Jersey Devils.
Early life
Hailing from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Blackwood grew up with a father active in local hockey and a mother who participated in basketball and track. He started playing hockey at nine years old but took a brief hiatus after one year. At 12, he committed fully to the goaltender position after stepping in for an injured teammate. His early teams included the Volunteer Pool Bearcats and Neebing Hawks before he advanced to join the Thunder Bay Kings competing in the Thunder Bay AAA Hockey League during the 2011–12 season, where he secured 15 wins with a 3.08 goals against average (GAA). The following year, he played for the Elmira Sugar Kings in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, gaining valuable development before moving up to Junior A-level competition.
Junior
Following his minor hockey achievements, Blackwood was picked in the fifth round of the 2012 OHL Priority Selection by the Barrie Colts. Starting as a backup during his rookie 2013–14 campaign, he soon assumed the role of starting goaltender after Mathias Niederberger departed and Alex Fotinos struggled. On November 1, he earned his first shutout by stopping all 31 shots against the Niagara IceDogs. Leading all rookies in both the OHL and CHL with a 2.98 GAA, .902 save percentage, and 23 wins, Blackwood was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team in 2014. Although Barrie was eliminated in the second playoff round by the North Bay Battalion, coaches commended his efforts and anticipated that he would remain their primary goaltender throughout his junior tenure.
In his subsequent season, Blackwood was selected to represent the OHL All-Stars at the 2014 Subway Super Series and was also chosen for the 2015 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game; however, illness prevented his participation.
New Jersey Devils
On December 30, 2015, Blackwood inked a three-year entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils, who had drafted him during the 2015 NHL entry draft. After spending time with New Jersey’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, he was assigned on January 1, 2018, to the Adirondack Thunder, New Jersey’s ECHL affiliate.
Starting off the 2018–19 season, Blackwood played with the Devils’ AHL team, the Binghamton Devils. He was called up to New Jersey on December 17 following an injury to goaltender Cory Schneider. Blackwood made his NHL debut that night during a 7–2 defeat against the Toronto Maple Leafs, entering in relief of starter Keith Kinkaid in the third period and stopping eight out of ten shots. On December 20, he started his first NHL game facing the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he made 36 saves on 38 shots despite a narrow 2–1 loss.
Blackwood secured his inaugural NHL win on December 27 by making 40 saves on 42 shots in a 5–2 triumph over the Boston Bruins. In only his third NHL start on December 29, he recorded his first shutout with a 37-save effort during a 2–0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. This performance earned him recognition as a Star of the Week. Following another shutout win on December 31 against the Vancouver Canucks, he became both the first rookie goaltender for the Devils to achieve consecutive shutouts and their youngest goalie with multiple regular-season shutouts, surpassing records held by Martin Brodeur.
On January 3, 2019, Blackwood was selected for the North Division roster at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic. He was placed on injured reserve on January 10 due to a lower-body injury sustained on January 2 but returned to action on January 12 during a 3–2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers.
On December 23, 2020, Blackwood agreed to a new three-year contract extension with the Devils.
San Jose Sharks
Approaching restricted free agency status with the Devils, Blackwood was traded to the San Jose Sharks on June 27, 2023, in exchange for a sixth-round draft selection in 2023. He agreed to a two-year contract with San Jose on July 1. Blackwood made his first appearance for the Sharks during the 2023–24 season on October 14, delivering 51 saves in a narrow 2–1 shootout defeat against the Colorado Avalanche.
Colorado Avalanche
On December 9, 2024, Blackwood was part of a trade package sent from the Sharks to the Colorado Avalanche. Alongside Givani Smith and a fifth-round pick in 2027, he was exchanged for Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, a conditional fifth-round pick in 2025, and a second-round pick in 2026. His debut with Colorado came on December 14, when he stopped 37 shots in a 5–2 victory over the Nashville Predators.
Following four games with the Avalanche, Blackwood secured a five-year contract extension worth $26.25 million on December 27, 2024, extending through the 2030 season. As Colorado reshaped their goaltending roster—including bringing in former Devils teammate Scott Wedgewood—Blackwood provided stability in net and played a key role in strengthening the team's defensive performance. He recorded his first shutout as an Avalanche player on January 31, 2025, shutting out the St. Louis Blues in a dominant 5–0 win.
During the regular season, Blackwood appeared in 37 games for Colorado, starting 36 and earning 22 victories. He maintained a .913 save percentage, posted a goals-against average of 2.33, and achieved three shutouts. Alongside Darcy Kuemper, he became one of only two Avalanche goaltenders to reach at least 22 wins and three shutouts within their initial 37 appearances.
In his NHL playoff debut on April 20, 2025, Blackwood helped secure a Game 1 victory against the Dallas Stars. He then earned his first career playoff shutout with 23 saves during a 4–0 win on April 27. Although Colorado was ultimately eliminated after seven games in the series, Blackwood tallied three postseason wins and recorded a goals-against average of 2.71 throughout the playoffs.
International play
On June 24, 2015, Blackwood was selected as one of three goaltenders invited to Hockey Canada's U-20 summer development camp. He represented Canada’s junior squad at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in 2016.
Later, on April 29, 2019, Blackwood was named as the third goaltender for Canada’s senior team competing at the IIHF World Championship held in Slovakia that year. His debut came as a relief goalie during a round-robin match against Denmark on May 20, contributing to a shutout win by Canada (5–0). Canada advanced to the tournament final but secured silver after falling to Finland on May 26.
Personal life
Raised in Thunder Bay, Blackwood’s mother Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott holds the position of President and CEO at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. His father is an avid fan of the Colorado Avalanche and influenced Blackwood’s early support for that team.
Regular season and playoffs
2024–25 Colorado Avalanche NHL 37 22 12 3 2,165 84 3 2.33 .913 7 3 4 421 19 1 2.71 .892| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T/OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–12 | Thunder Bay Kings Mn Midget AAA | TBJBHL | 38 | 15 | 13 | 2 | — | 121 | 1 | 3.08 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–13 | Elmira Sugar Kings | GOJHL | 24 | 10 | 8 | 2 | — | 74 | 0 | 3.39 | .911 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–14 | Barrie Colts | OHL | 45 | 23 | 15 | 2 | 2,497 | 124 | 0 | 2.98 | .931 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 552 | 24 | 1 | 2.61 | .904 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–15 | Barrie Colts | OHL | 51 | 33 | 14 | 2 | 2,953 | 152 | 0 | 3.09 | .931 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 562 | 27 | 0 | 2.88 | .922 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "2015–16 OHL season"|Barrie Colts | "OHL" | "43" | "28" | "13" | "0" | "2,452" | "111" | "2" | "2.72" | " .914" | "13" | "6" | "5" | "796" | "36" | "1" | "2.71" | " .915" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "2016–17 AHL season"|Albany Devils|"AHL"|36|"17"|"14"|"3"|"2,048"|"87"|"3"|"2.55"|".907"|4|"1"|"3"|"254"|"9"|"1"|"2.13"|".928" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "2017–18 AHL season"|Binghamton Devils|"AHL"|32|"7"|"17"|"6"|"1,810"|"103"|"2"|"3.41"|".882"|— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "2017–18 ECHL season"|Adirondack Thunder|"ECHL"|5|"2"|"1"|"1"|"242"|"10"|"0"|"2.48"|".920"|5|"3"|"1"|"240"|"4"|"1"|"1.00"|".964" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "2018–19 AHL season"|Binghamton Devils |AHL |20 |8 |10 |1 |1,139 |56 |1 |2.95 |.902 |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "2018–19 NHL season"|New Jersey Devils |NHL |23 |10 |10 |0 |1,264 |55 |2 |2.61 |.918 |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "2019–20 NHL season"|New Jersey Devils |NHL |47 |22 |14 |8 |2,685 |124 |3 |2.77 |.915 |- |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |
"[2020–21 NHL season]" | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 35 | 14 | 17 | 4 | 2,091 | 106 | 1 | 3.04 | .902 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
"[2021–22 NHL season]" | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 25 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 1,400 | 79 | 2 | 3.39 | .892 | - |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" "[2022–23 NHL season]" | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 22 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1,126 | 60 | 0 | 3.20 | .893 | - |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
"[2022–23 NHL season]" | AHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 119 | 6 | 0 | 3.03 | .891 | - |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
"[2023–24 NHL season]" | NHL | 44 | 10 | 25 | 4 | 2,437 | 140 | 2 | 3.45 | .899 | - |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
"[2024–25 NHL season]" | San Jose Sharks |
NHL |
19 |
6 |
9 |
3 |
1,059 |
53 |
1 |
3.00 |
.911 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- | |||||||||
| NHL totals | 252 | 103 | 103 | 28 | 14,224 | 701 | 14 | 2.96 | .906 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 421 | 19 | 1 | 2.71 | .892 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Outcome | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Canada | WJC | 6th place | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 183 | 12 | 0 | 3.95 | .858 | |
| 2019 | Canada | WC | Template:Silver2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | |
| Junior career totals | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 183 | 12 | 0 | 3.95 | .858 | ||||
| Senior career totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| OHL | ||
| First All-Rookie Team selection | 2013–14 | |
| OHL All-Stars, Subway Super Series | 2014–15 | |
| First Team All-Star recognition | 2015–16 | |
| Goaltender of the Year title | 2015–16 | |